


Day 7: Enchanted

by Magpie_Crow



Series: Inktober 2019 [7]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Background Intrulogical - Freeform, Background Moxiety - Freeform, Deceit Sanders Has a Different Name, Fantasy, Fluff, In Which The Author Is A Lonely Gay, M/M, Too sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 10:41:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20928884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magpie_Crow/pseuds/Magpie_Crow
Summary: Prince Declan met a man in the forest, fell in love, and then was betrothed to another. How will he find his happiness?





	Day 7: Enchanted

**Author's Note:**

> Deceit has vitiligo... I'm not sure if I wrote it well because I haven't tried before, but we'll see.

The sun was setting through the forest, casting long shadows across the small garden clearing in which two men stood. One staring hopefully into the dark woods, and the other watching his master. 

“Forgive me, your Highness, but I don’t think he’s coming back.” 

The other slumped and turned to him. “He promised, Vee. Perhaps he will come tomorrow?”

“Dee...” Prince Declan’s bodyguard brought a hand up to rest on his shoulder. “It is time to return to the Capitol.” 

Declan sighed and nodded. It was doubtful the handsome hunter who had been visiting his garden almost every day for the past few months would return after a fortnight’s absence. A heavy knot tied itself in his stomach.

~

_ “Do I have your permission to return tomorrow, fair prince?” _

_Declan was leaned against a tree, the hunter’s head warm and heavy in his lap. “Of course you do, Ro. You don’t have to ask me every day.”_

_Ro laughed, and Declan marveled at the way the sun lit his eyes with amber. “I would hate to overstep boundaries with you, my love.” _

~

“My son! There is wonderful news! Sanders Kingdom has requested your hand in marriage for their Crown Prince!” 

Declan forced a smile at his father. He knew the impact the union would have for their kingdom, the Sanders Kingdom was prolific, with military might and trade connections. He also knew that his father despaired finding someone of high standing to wed him, prince or no.

Self-consciously, Declan traced the patches of lighter skin on one of his hands with a carefully painted nail. 

~

_ “You… Don’t find me odd? Or repulsive?”_

_Ro flopped down next to Declan and his rhododendrons, hand over heart. “My love, your beauty far outstrips that of the stars!”_

_Vee made a quiet noise from his perch in a nearby tree that sounded almost like a laugh. Declan shot him a dirty look. _

~~

The Sanders Kingdom was nice, if a little odd. Declan and Virgil were received with grace, but little circumstance. They were greeted by the king, queen, the second prince, and the second prince’s husband, but not Declan’s betrothed. 

“Our apologies for Prince Roman, he has fallen ill and will be resting for some time. Please make yourselves comfortable in our kingdom.”

Well, the king was nice enough, Declan supposed. “Thank you, your Majesty. Please convey my best wishes to Prince Roman as to his health.”

The king smiled genially, but Declan could see something in his eyes that promised the palace was hiding a secret. 

~

Later, in the chambers they had been given, Declan conferred with Virgil. “I think something is up, Vee. Why send for a…” his face twisted “disfigured… prince from another kingdom, only to keep his future husband from greeting him?”

“You’re not disfigured, your Highness;” Virgil paused. “However… Dee, I think you’re right about something being up. Would you like me to investigate?”

Declan was about to say yes, when a knock sounded at the door. Opening it revealed the second prince, Prince Remus, Duke of Sanders Kingdom. 

“Allow me to welcome my brother’s betrothed to the kingdom!” His eyes were alight with mischief, and Declan saw his chance to gather information.

“Why, thank you, your Grace! Perhaps you would permit me a question?”

“If you want to ask about my brother, you’ve come to the right man!”

Virgil peeked over Declan’s shoulder. “No offense, your Grace, but you came to us.”

Declan stepped on his foot.

~

“Enchanted?” Declan stared at the duke with an open mouth. 

“Yup! Brother dear came home one day all a-twitter, ranting and raving about a faerie he met in the forest!” He leaned in, and Declan wondered at how comfortable the second prince already was around two strangers. “Begged daddy-o for permission to bring the faerie home and get hitched. Pops wouldn’t hear anything of it, locked him up, and sent for you.” 

Virgil started grumbling about royalty in their native language, and Declan threw a pillow at him. The duke laughed. 

“It was bad enough that I married a librarian! Roman marrying a faerie would be political disaster!” Prince Remus seemed excited at the prospect. 

Something told Declan that this was going to be a longer engagement than he had anticipated.

~~

Declan was wandering the gardens, running his fingers gently over the well-kept flowers and missing his own quiet garden in the forest. Virgil had left him in the capable escort of Prince Remus’ husband, Logan, to go flirt with Prince Roman’s aide. How the two had met escaped Declan, but he wouldn’t deny his best friend the happiness.  
As he was admiring a particularly blue hydrangea, a commotion broke out from the archway of a nearby hall.

“Enough, Roman! I thought you had cleared your head by now, and stopped going on about some silly fantasy, but I must have been wrong!” The voice was the king’s, booming through the stone. 

Logan cleared his throat, and Declan turned to see him nervously adjusting his glasses. “Perhaps, Prince Declan, I could entice you to visit the palace archives? There is more dust there, I suppose, however it contains valuable historical information that might interest you.”

Declan gave him a look, and strode into the corridor, hoping to catch a glimpse of his betrothed. 

“I am telling you, father! I saw my love’s attendant in the courtyard! Perhaps they have come looking for me! Is it truly wise to break a vow to a faerie?”

His breath caught in his throat. He knew that voice. 

“You’ve fallen under the sprite’s enchantment, fool! The faerie would rather steal your soul than marry you!” 

Peeking around a corner, Declan could see the king’s back, standing solid in front of a dashing young man. It was Ro, the hunter Declan had fallen in love with in his garden.

“Dee loved me, father, I am sure of it! He’s waiting for me!”

“Guards, take Prince Roman back to his rooms. He is obviously not fit to meet his betrothed.”

Declan pressed himself into a convenient alcove as the king passed, not wanting to be seen. 

~

“Dee!” There was an urgent rapping on his chamber doors, and he rushed to open it. Virgil burst inside with a look on his face that spelled news. “I found out who the prince is, Dee! He’s-“

“Ro. The hunter. _My_ hunter.”

Virgil fell silent. “How- How’d _you_ find out?”

“I saw him having a confrontation with the king in the corridor.” The noise that escaped Declan could only be described as a hysterical giggle. “Virgil, he thought we were faeries!”

Virgil started laughing along, catching Declan before he could slide to the floor as he giggled.

“No offense, your Highness, but your betrothed is an idiot.”

~

It didn’t take much persuasion to convince Prince Remus to help Declan sneak into Roman’s room. “They’ve got him in the highest tower, you know. That used to be my room, before Lo-lo found a secret passage into it!” 

Declan raised an eyebrow in the low light of the torch, hoping the duke would elaborate. 

“Pops thought I was crazy, so he locked me up! What a surprise it was to him, when Logie-bear requested my hand in marriage?” Remus spun to walk backwards up the thin stairway and winked at Declan. “Now they think Lo keeps me in check.” He stopped, causing Declan to stop abruptly as well. “Want to know a secret?”

“I… Suppose?”

“Logan encourages me.” The duke turned forward again and kept going up the stairs. 

~

It was a long trek, but they eventually reached a small ante-chamber behind opulent curtains. Declan could hear the sound of a door opening in the room beyond. 

“Prince Roman, what in the name of the king are you doing?” The voice was that of the Prince’s aide, Patton.

“I am escaping, Patton! I must return to the forest, to my faerie!” There was a rustling noise.

“That length of linen won’t get you to the ground, your Highness. You’d end up dead!”

“Better dead than breaking my word.” Roman’s voice was dark, and Declan flinched. “Please apologize to my father for me, Pat. I have no other recourse.”

“As your best friend, I can’t let you do this, Roman.” Footsteps. 

“Patton, you always tell me to be honest, and to keep my promises! Wouldn’t you rather I keep my word than stay here and be miserable?”

~

There was a heavy pause, and Declan used it to slip from behind the curtain. He found himself in between Prince Roman and the window, with Roman facing away from him. “Personally, I would rather you not break your neck on a fool’s errand.”

Roman whirled, and the knot in Declan’s gut unraveled. The late afternoon sun streamed through the window, painting his love in an ethereal orange glow. He found himself thankful that the light was at his back, so Roman couldn’t see the flush that crept up Declan’s neck at the sight of him. 

“I’m not sure whether I ought to be flattered that you thought me a faerie, or annoyed that we didn’t communicate.” 

Roman stepped forward as Declan was speaking, raising a hand to cup his pale cheek reverently. He leaned into the warmth of his love’s palm, the warmth he had thought was lost forever.

“It seems we could have saved ourselves much heartache, my love.” Roman’s voice was oh, so gentle, and Declan was so very tired. 

“If you kiss me, I’ll count it even.”

Roman smiled, soft and sure, the smile Declan had fallen in love with. “Done.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you've got any questions/comments!
> 
> I set up a Discord server! <https://discord.gg/gtWgvQ4>  
Join me to talk about my writing and stuff!
> 
> Find more on tumblr @we-are-fam-ily


End file.
